Australian LG mobile phone batteries safe

The company made the statement after a US report said that Verizon Wireless recalled 50,000 TM-510 mobile phone batteries, some of which may be counterfeit, which carry the LG Mobile Phones brand.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the batteries did not have the circuitry normally installed to prevent overcharging which causes the batteries to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to users.

The report said this is the second recall in the US this year related to mobile phones overheating, and both involve Verizon Wireless models.

LG Electronics Australia marketing coordinator Martin Kim said the TM-510 was not a model sold in Australia and therefore will not affect Australian consumers. He also assures customers that there are no problems associated with counterfeit products in Australia.

"It seems as though the incident occurred with importers illegally importing the counterfeit batteries into America. There have been absolutely no reports of such occurence here in Australia and does not appear to be an issue to be concerned with in the Australian market," Kim said.

LG Mobile Phones in the US said last Friday that it has traced the source of the counterfeit batteries and has initiated legal action against a US importer. They are also working with US government agencies to stop the flow of counterfeit batteries into the nation.